This weekend, I accomplished a huge personal achievement: I ran (and finished) my first ever 10k race. Not just any race, Nike’s We Own The Night – a women’s only 10k run at night in Victoria Park. I never thought I’d say this, but… it may have been one of the funnest Saturday nights I’ve ever had in London.

As regular readers of Alex Loves will know, I’ve recently become a bit of a running fanatic – I’m still not very good at it, but I’m doing it and I’m loving it. Over the past few months I’ve been working hard towards this 10k goal and was surprised how quickly I reached it once I started training regularly. Nike’s We Own The Night was the perfect opportunity to test how far I’ve come from being a couch potato to completing an actual race.

As first times go, I couldn’t have picked a better one to start with. We Own The Night felt a bit like a boutique festival, without the alcohol or moshpits, but with 7000 women of all ages and capabilities together with the same goal – to run that 10k and have fun doing so. The village was set up to look like a boutique festival, with tents and DJ’s, beanbags, (healthy) food and drink and a generally happy atmosphere. Seeing thousands of girls in matching neon orange tops and flashing armbands was definitely a sight I’ll always remember, I’m pretty sure we could be seen from space.

We had a group warm up and some encouraging words from the likes of Paula Ratcliffe and ELLE editor-in-chief Lorraine Candy, before heading to the starting point. Because this was my first time I was pretty nervous and didn’t quite know what to expect. I fell into the trap which everyone warned me about and made the rookie mistake of starting off way too fast. When you’re in the middle of such a huge group, you can’t help but being sucked into their pace, which was way faster than my usual speed. By the time I reached 3k, I was done, kaput – I’d tried too hard and I felt like I simply couldn’t any more. I’d promised myself not to walk, but I did for a very short while before I went off again. By this time the mass had thinned out and I was  finally surrounded by girls who ran my pace.

I can’t say the rest of the race went smoothly – being overtaken by the first runner on her second lap when I barely reached 4k wasn’t very encouraging – but I have to give credit to the DJ’s and cheering crowds around the track, they absolutely pulled me through when I thought I couldn’t. By the time I got to my second lap, I finally reached a comfortable pace and ran at a good speed until the end. Reaching the end was surprisingly emotional, and I broke down sobbing when I spotted my buddy Camille waiting for me with 2 glasses of Prosecco: 2 months ago I could barely reach the end of my street, and somehow I’d just run 10 kilometers. It was the most overwhelming and satisfying moment ever, and it made all the pain of recent weeks completely worth it.

By then it was completely dark and the village had this proper festival vibe to it – we danced for a while before taking my tired legs home for a well-deserved sleep. Going for a 10k on a Saturday night wouldn’t have been my idea of fun a while ago, but now I can honestly say We Own The Night was by far one of the best nights out I’ve had in a long time – and no hangover the day after!  The women-only environment made it less competitive, more friendly and empowering, there was a real sense of camaraderie amongst us. My official race time was 1hr18mins (although my RunKeeper app says the course was a lot longer, so my time would have been less – I’m going with that one), which is still mighty slow, but leaves me plenty of space for improvement!

Thank you Nike for putting up such a great, well organised event, but most of all thank you to my lovely friend Camille, whose encouragement got me through it. Well done on your PB of 59mins!

If I can do it, so can you – I promise. Now just go and run!

Whilst I’m on the subject of running, I have a couple of announcements to make:

1. I’m running another 10k this Monday and I’m raising money for SKCIN - a charity focused on raising awareness and the prevention of skin cancer. I myself have had an awful experience with the disease and so I’m trying to do my bit to help others avoid what I went through. If you’d like to read my full story and sponsor my run, I would be eternally grateful. You can do so by clicking on my JustGiving page. 

2. In recent weeks I’ve had so many conversations about working out and style, with a lot of people asking me for advice on where to get both functional and fashionable gear, advice on shoes, training and much more. I’ve been on the internet looking for a site which covers fashion and exercise, and found there were none that floated my boat. So, I’m taking matters into my own hands and I’ve started work on a new website which will cover all of this and more. I’m looking for people who’d be interested in contributing, so email/tweet me if this sounds like something you’d enjoy working on! I’m still building the site but fingers crossed I can launch very soon! 

Playing around with the Sequence Shot feature on the HTC One

The reward: Pancakes & Bellini’s the day after.

(all images my own except top image ©Getty)

I’m always partial to a good, unexpected collaboration, and Peter Som‘s small but perfect collection for Anthropologie is just that. Anthroplogie isn’t known for its huge, commercial collaborations, but often does these wonderful little collections with a wonderful designers. US designer Peter Som may be a well-established name within the fashion industry, but perhaps not widely known outside of it, so this collection is a great opportunity to introduce him to a new public.

The collection consists of pretty (wedding season!) dresses and colourful separates with prices starting from £98. For me, it’s all about the zebra print dress – so cute!

Peter Som for Anthropologie in stores and online now.

Shop the collection below:

I’m all about the health and whatnot, but some days you just need a little comfort food to cheer you up. These spinach and mushroom quesadillas are my go-to naughty food which always works a treat. The thing with quesadillas is that it’s not only quick, stupidly easy to make, intensely satisfying, but a great way of using the leftovers in your fridge. You can add chicken, chorizo, tomato, peppers, sweetcorn – whatever your want, really.

Spinach & mushroom are some of those ingredients I always have too much of, so yesterday when not feeling very well I whipped up a delicious quick meal with stuff I already had in the fridge. And if you think about it… plenty of veg in there – can’t be that bad right?

Ingredients:
1/2 chopped onion (I used white, but prefer red if you have it)
Lots and lots of grated cheese (cheddar – but you can add a little mozzarella for extra gooeyness)
2 Tortilla Wraps
Handful of mushrooms
1/2 pack of spinach
Coriander & Guacamole to serve

1. fry the chopped onions and mushrooms in a pan until they’ve softened, add the spinach until it wilts and set the mix aside

2. In a medium hot pan, put the tortilla to heat (you could use oil, but that makes it less healthy, of course), and throw a handful of cheese on top. Let it heat and the cheese melt, add the spinach and mushroom mix, throw the rest of the cheese on top and finish with the other tortilla. When the whole thing is getting nice and hot, flip the quesadilla over so the other side can get crispy and once both sides are done take it out and leave to rest for a little bit. I’ve found that it gets easier (and less sloppy) to cut and eat the quesadilla once it’s cooled down a bit.

3. Cut into slices, serve with guacamole as a dip and a coriander garnish.

I don’t know why, but there’s something about drinking on a rooftop that is simply far more exciting than drinking on a ground floor. It could be the incredible views, or the fact that you can unashamedly stare at the world and people below or simply feeling like you’re part of this secret club up in the sky. Whatever it is, I love rooftop terraces, and luckily for me, London has plenty of amazing ones. Here’s my top 10 of London rooftop terraces where you may very well catch me with a chilled glass of vino this summer!

1. Madison at One New Change

The gigantic rooftop terrace at One New Change was my little secret for a long time when it just opened. It offers the best views over St. Paul’s Cathedral and pretty much the whole of London’s skyline – and it was always very quiet. These days the secret’s very much out and it does get very busy on sunny days (very popular with the City crowd), but it’s still one of my favourite places in London. The Madison Bar has expanded and now occupies a large chunk of the terrace, which makes it a great place for a sunny tipple with a view (and City boys in suits…).

Madison Rooftop Bar
One New Change
London EC4M 9AF

2. Aqua Kyoto & Aqua Nueva Rooftop Bars

Not only is Aqua Kyoto my ultimate favourite restaurant in London (if I got to choose my very last meal, it would be their Black Cod), it also boasts a pretty chic rooftop terrace. Along with sister restaurant Aqua Nueva next door, they have 2 large outdoor bars on the 5th floor overlooking Regent Street. Great for pre-dinner or post-shopping drinks, incredible nibbles and relaxing away from the hustle and bustle of Regent Street and Oxford Street.

Aqua Kyoto Rooftop Terrace
30 Argyll Street
London W1B 3BR

3. Vista at the Trafalgar

Living in London I tend to avoid touristy spots. Trafalgar Square was pretty high up on my to-avoid-list, but since discovering the amazing Vista bar on top of the Trafalgar Hotel I seem to be heading that way a lot more… Not only is the space itself beautifully designed – a slick outdoor lounge bar – the view tops it all off – Nelson’s Column on one side, Big Ben on the other, and a lot of amazing buildings in between. And best of all, not a single tourist asking for directions. It does get busy on sunny days so get there early if you want a seat!

Vista At The Trafalgar Hotel
2 Spring Gardens
Trafalgar Square
London SW1A 2TS

4. Dalston Roof Park

Just a couple of steps away from Dalston Kingsland station lies the Print House, which plays host to Dalston Roof Park in summer. It’s a slightly kitsch space with astroturf, coloured deckchairs and even a giant flamingo. There’s also an edible garden, the produce of which is used in cocktails, whilst exciting street food vendors provide the food. Throughout the summer there will be outdoor film screenings and unplugged sessions to keep you entertained (check out the events schedule here). It can be a little hipster-y at times, but then that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Dalston Roof Park
Print House
18 Ashwin St
London E8 3DL

5. Big Chill House

Perhaps I’m a little biased about this one, because I happen to live quite close to it, but the Big Chill House rooftop terrace is a wonderful little surprise just steps away from King’s Cross station. The Big Chill House is a maze of different floors and bars and atmospheres, and gets packed especially on weekends, but at the end of the day, it’s always good fun. The terrace at the back seems to get a transformation every  year, so I don’t know what this summer season has to offer, but it’s the perfect place to… chill on a sunny day (See what did there?)

The Big Chill House
257-259 Pentonville Road
London N1 9NL

6. Radio Rooftop Bar at ME Hotel

On the 1oth floor of the ME Hotel on The Strand sits the Radio Rooftop Bar (named in honour of the former BBC HQ location) and it is definitely the slickest, snazziest rooftop bar on this list. Fancy as it may be, the panoramic views over London are its ultimate selling point. There’s plenty of white sofas and nibbles and drinks and music and an indoor option should it ever rain – oh, as if! – and wonderful as they all may be, it wouldn’t even matter if it only had the view. But it does have all of those things, which makes it all the better.

Radio Rooftop Bar at ME London
336-337 The Strand
London WC2R 1HA

7. Sushisamba

If you’re scared of heights, this one may not be for you… Sushisamba’s rooftop terrace is on the 38th floor of the Heron Tower and possibly one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever visited (and the Japanese-Peruvian-Brazilian-combo food isn’t too shabby either). If you do have the guts to go outside, the birds-eye view over London, the Gherkin, The Shard, The Olympic Stadium (I once went during the Games), Tower Bridge and other landmarks is of postcard quality. The main outdoor bar is based around a giant bronze tree

8. Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden

Southbank has a tendency to get a little bit crazy during summer days, and so a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden is always a welcome break from the madness below. Just follow the bright yellow staircase to the top floor and you’ll be transported to a different world: it’s a real garden with allotments, fruit trees and wild flowers, boasts an incredible front-row view of the river. It also has a cafe/bar, and as it’s a public space you can also just bring your own picnic or drinks if you wanted to – or you could even do some gardening if you were so inclined. A real gem in an unexpected place.

Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden at the Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX

9. Queen Of Hoxton

The Queen of Hoxton’s rooftop is definitely one for the Shoreditch party people -there’s DJ’s, BBQ’s, a massive heated wigwam (during winter) and a rumoured hottub for summer.  There’s regular events – check out their Sports Day in July) and a massively popular Rooftop Film Club (check out the schedule here). It does get really busy, but it’s a must-do for a sunny Shoreditch night out. The rooftop reopens for the summer season on May 20th.

Queen of Hoxton Rooftop  
1-5 Curtain Road
London EC2A 3JX

10. Boundary

In the heart of Shoreditch lies the Terence Conran designed Boundary Project – there’s The Albion cafe downstairs, Boundary restaurant in the basement, a boutique hotel above, and to top it all off, a rather fantastic rooftop terrace. It’s a great place for a sunny meal, surrounded by lots of green, as well as heaters and even a fireplace to keep you warm. It’s also a great alternative to members-only Shoreditch House next door – it may not have a rooftop pool, but then who really swims in it anyway? And if you’ve had one too many tipples, you can always just take a room in the hotel below. Win-win.

Boundary Rooftop
2-4 Boundary Street
London E2 7DD

Any amazing rooftops I’ve missed? Let me know! All in the name of research, of course :)

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know Great Gatsby fever is reaching a climax, as the long-awaited film hits cinemas this week. From the incredible cast, the music and of course, the fashion – the Great Gatsby is the hot topic of the moment, and Twenties’ style has never been hotter. Getting inspiration from the era doesn’t have to mean fancy dress. There’s so many great pieces out there that you can incorporate into your daily wardrobe to add a little Gatsby style; these are some of my picks!

p.s. if you’re looking for something fun to get all dressed up for, why not try Harvey Nichols’ Roaring 20′s Afternoon Tea? It looks divine!

1. Chandelier Earrings, £15, from ASOS /// 2. Marie Mercie “Sabine” Hat, £290, from Avenue 32 /// 3. Lulu Frost Art Deco Earrings, £65, from Whistles /// 4. Frock and Frill Yellow Flapper Dress, £135, from Joy /// 5. Grey Embellished Flapper Dress, £50, from River Island  /// 6. Limited Edition Flapper Dress, £160, from Topshop /// 7. Chain Body Harness, £12, from Boohoo.com /// 8. Charlotte Olympia Pandora Perspex Clutch, £595, from Net-A-Porter /// 9. Crystal Flapper Hairband, £15, from ASOS /// 10. Hurricane Maribou Trim Sandals, £45, from ASOS link /// 11. Diane Von Furstenberg Sanaa Sandals, £265, from Matchesfashion.com /// 12. Deeta Mint and Silver Sandal, £20, from Stylistpick ///

My wardrobe consists of 90% black items. I am simply, unashamedly, totally in love with the colour black – it’s elegant, slimming, timeless and always adds a little rock ‘n roll. Then summer comes along (ok well, some warm days come along) and suddenly it’s apparently no longer ok to dress head-to-toe in black – too depressing, apparently – and out come the pastels and whites and prints and flashy colours. Although I can appreciate a little colour once in a while, I’ve decided to accept the fact that it’s simply not me and embrace some summer-appropriate Little Black Dresses instead. Still elegant, still slimming, still timeless, still a little rock ‘n roll, just a little more… summery. And what’s even better, come winter you can just add some tights and a cardigan and they’re still ok to wear. Can’t do that with your little white dress, can you?

Black 1 – every other colour 0.

So I have this big, empty, white wall.

I sit and stare at it every single day when I’m working from my kitchen table and it just screams for something interesting to happen to it. I’ve considered photography or prints, but I’ve decided what would really look great is a neon artwork, with a word or a quote which could inspire me every day.

The only problem is, I don’t think I could ever decide on what would be the right words, the right typography, the right colour and size, so I’ve just been pinning a lot of inspirations lately – these are some of my favourites. As for my wall… well I can’t quite afford a Tracey Emin just yet, so it may just have to stay a boring white wall for a bit longer.

If you could have any quote to inspire you, what would it be?

My obsession with sneakers continues…

Today sees the launch of 3 brand new models of the ongoing Liberty x Nike collaboration, in stores and online now. What’s even better news though, is that the Liberty prints are now part of the NikeID collection, so you can design your own trainers featuring the famous floral prints – I’ve been designing my own all morning (all in the name of research, of course!) and it is really highly addictive stuff. You can create your own here.

CAPEL LIBERTY PRINT BLAZER MID RISE TRAINERS, £110

CAPEL LIBERTY PRINT ROSHE RUN TRAINERS, £105

PEPPER LIBERTY PRINT AIR MAX 1 TRAINERS, £145

2 of my own Liberty designs I created with NikeID…

Last week saw the opening of the fourth edition of the British Designers Collective pop up boutique at Bicester Village, hosted by girl-of-the-moment Rita Ora.

The collective UK fashion press gathered early last Thursday at Marylebone Station to catch a very special British Designers Collective train to Bicester Village, complete with the most delicious breakfast boxes served by male models (not your average train ride!). Upon arrival, Rita Ora (dressed in Roksanda Illincic) was joined by a number of the designers whose collections are for sale at the boutique, like Henry Holland, Peter Pilotto & Christopher de Vos, Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi of Preen and Holly Fulton.

This year the theme of the boutique is “Future Vintage”, offering a selection of already-iconic pieces by some of Britain’s biggest design talents at discounted prices – up to 60% off. After speeches by Yasmin Sewell (the curator behind the boutique), Caroline Rush (British Fashion Council Chief Executive) and Rita Ora, we were let loose to browse the shop which boasts some iconic pieces, from Mary Katrantzou’s trompe l’oeil jewellery printed dresses, to House of Holland, Preen and Roksanda Illincic, as well as accessories by the likes of Mawi, Linda Farrow, Nicholas Kirkwood and Piers Atkinson to name a few. (For the full list of designers, check here)

I’ve been lucky enough to attend (and shop at) all 4 editions, and I can honestly tell you this is the best one yet. It’s a great way to discover designers you may otherwise never get to know at discounted prices, and for the serious fashion collectors to get their hands on some iconic pieces of past collections.

British Designers Collective at Bicester Village is open now for another 8 weeks.

I’ve been cooking up a storm lately, trying to come up with original, delicious but healthy recipes. This particular one came about after a lovely brunch at Riding House Café, where they serve a delicious Chorizo Hash Brown with eggs and mushroom on top. I went home afterwards and kept thinking of ways to turn that brunch dish into more of a healthy(ish) dinner meal, so I came up with this recipe using sweet potatoes instead of normal ones. I’ve only recently fallen in love with chorizo (these Brindisa ones at Ocado are divine!), so I’ve had this uncontrollable craving to put it in every dish I make. The combination of both, with the added spiced crème fraîche is really great, and it takes hardly any time to make…

Ingredients (for 1 person)

1 medium sweet potato
chorizo sausages
1/2 onion
spinach leaves
3 tbsp (half fat) crème  fraîche 
paprika & chilli spices
coriander leaves

1. Peel and grate the sweet potato (or save yourself some arm-ache and use a food processor) and squeeze the moisture out using kitchen towels (the less moisture, the crunchier it gets). Put some oil in a pan and start frying the chopped onions and grated potato. Season if you like.

2. Meanwhile, slice the chorizo halfway and cook in a different (grill)pan. No oil needed as these are very greasy on their own! Cook them until they get a little crunchy. Take the crème fraîche and add some of the paprika and chilli spices, until it has a little kick to it.

3. By now the potato and onion mix should have softened, spread it out evenly over the pan and press it down (I use a spatula) to flatten it. Leave for a couple of minutes until the bottom starts getting crunchy, then flip and cook on the other side for a while (no worries if it falls apart, I’ve never managed to turn it around properly).

4. To serve, I put a layer of spinach leaves on a plate, add the sweet potato hash brown, the spiced crème fraîche, the chorizo and coriander to finish. 

Tadaaa! Happy cooking!